Stay Informed

You are here

113th Congress Previous Questions

January 23, 2013

Report

What is a Motion on Ordering the Previous Question on the Rule?

Defeating the previous question gives the minority party the opportunity to decide what bill or amendments the House will consider. When the motion for the previous question is defeated, control of the time passes to the Member who led the opposition to ordering the previous question. That Member, because he or she then controls the time, may offer an amendment to the rule, or yield for the purpose of amendment. In essence, defeat of the previous question gives the minority party control of the floor and of the schedule for the U.S. House of Representatives, pertaining to the Rule that is being debated.

Politico's David Rogers writes of the significance and impact of Previous Question votes here.

Previous Questions marked with an "*" are one rule that brought multiple bills to the floor.

The Democratic Previous Question would force a House vote on the ATTIRE ACT, a ‘Make It In America’ bill that would fund research and innovation in the U.S. textile and fiber products industry, help create local jobs, strengthen R&D, and promote exports of American-made textiles.

The Democratic Previous Question would force a vote on key pillars of the Middle Class Jumpstart agenda, including the Paycheck Fairness Act, the Fair Minimum Wage Act, the Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act, the Healthy Families Act, the Strong Start for America’s Children Act, and the Bring Jobs Home Act.

The Democratic Previous Question would demand a vote on the seven-year reauthorization of the Ex-Im Bank and require the Select Committee on Benghazi to adopt committee rules, which is required for every committee in order to ensure transparency and accountability.

The Democratic Previous Question would force the House to vote on two measures: 1) a bill to block corporate inversions in which corporations move their headquarters overseas to avoid paying U.S. taxes; and 2) a constitutional amendment to reverse the Citizens United decision that has unleased unlimited special interest dollars into our electoral process.

The Democratic Previous Question would force the House to vote on a key proposal of House Democrats’ Middle Class Jumpstart agenda: the Bring Jobs Home Act that ends tax giveaways for corporations shipping jobs overseas, and creates new incentives to create good paying jobs in the United States.

The Democratic Previous Question would force the House to vote on a key proposal of the Middle Class Jumpstart agenda: the Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act introduced by Congressman John Tierney (D-MA) and George Miller (D-CA), which would allow millions of borrowers to refinance their existing student loans at lower interest rates.

The Democratic Previous Question would force a vote on the “It’s Not My Boss’s Business” legislation to correct the damage of the Supreme Court’s deeply misguided decision, and ensure that no employee, man or woman, can be denied access to critical health services because of an employer’s beliefs.

The Previous Question would force a vote on the Bank on Students Emergency Refinancing Act – introduced by Congressmen Tierney and Miller – that would allow millions of borrowers to refinance their existing student loans at lower interest rates, similar to those currently available to new borrowers.

The Previous Question would make the Select Committee completely equal in Democrat-to-Republican ratio, as well as bipartisan deposition authority, subpoena power, release of reports, staffing, and resources.

The Previous Question would replace the Republicans' partisan Contempt proceedings with a vote on the bipartisan Senate measure that restores emergency unemployment insurance for millions of Americans.

The Previous Question would amend the rule to allow for consideration of a substitute amendment consisting of the text of the Consumer Health Plan Protection Act of 2013, which would allow insurance companies to continue offering alternative insurance to the Affordable Care Act to current enrollees through 2014 as long as those plans were in effect as of October 1, 2013. Would require insurance companies to notify consumers of the differences between these extended plans and the options, credits, and subsidies available through the Affordable Care Act’s exchanges, as well as instructions on how to receive them. Would also require state insurance commissioners investigate and penalize insurance companies for inadequate cancellation notices, take corrective action against excessive, unjustified premium increases, and take appropriate steps to ensure that extending non-compliant 2013 policies does not adversely affect marketplace premiums.

The Previous Question would amend the rule to make in order the amendment by Rep. Brown (FL) which would authorize projects that receive a final Chief of Engineers Report up to one year following enactment of the bill.

The Previous Question would amend the rule to remove the self-executing amendment authored by Rep. Scalise which would fully defund the Affordable Care Act and insert the text of H.R. 807, the "Pay China First Act." Would also make in order the amendment by Rep. Van Hollen which fully funds the government until November 15, 2013 at the FY 2014 pre-sequester discretionary Budget Control Act caps that total $1.058 trillion and replaced the entire sequester – which will cause deep cuts to domestic priorities and defense for FY 2014 – with savings from specific policies that reflect a balanced approach to deficit reduction. The amendment would protect our most vulnerable citizens, asks those earning over $1 million per year to contribute more, eliminates Agriculture direct payments, and cuts subsidies for large oil companies.

The Previous Question would amend the rule to allow for consideration of H.R. 2428, to direct the Secretary of Transportation to assist States to rehabilitate or replace certain bridges, and for other purposes. It would also prevent the House from adjourning unless the President has signed into law legislation that provides for the creation of American jobs.

The Previous Question would amend the rule to allow for consideration of H. Res. 174, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Speaker should immediately request a conference and appoint conferees to complete work on a fiscal year 2014 budget resolution with the Senate.

The Previous Question would amend the rule to allow for consideration of H.R. 949, to ensure that transportation and infrastructure projects carried out using Federal financial assistance are constructed with steel, iron, and manufactured goods that are produced in the United States, and for other purposes.

The Previous Question would amend the rule to allow for consideration of H.R. 2574, to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to extend the current reduced interest rate for undergraduate Federal Direct Stafford Loans for 1 year, to modify required distribution rules for pension plans, and for other purposes.

The Previous Question would amend the rule to allow for consideration of H. Res. 174, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Speaker should immediately request a conference and appoint conferees to complete work on a fiscal year 2014 budget resolution with the Senate.

The Previous Question would amend the rule to allow for consideration of the “Veterans Backlog Reduction Act” (H.R. 1739) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to pay provisional benefits for certain nonadjudicated claims, and for other purposes.

The Previous Question would amend the rule to allow for consideration of H. Res. 174, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Speaker should immediately request a conference and appoint conferees to complete work on a fiscal year 2014 budget resolution with the Senate

The Previous Question would amend the rule to allow for consideration of H.R. 1424, to require the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Labor to establish the Make It In America Incentive Grant Program, and for other purposes.

The Previous Question would amend the rule to allow for consideration of the “Student Loan Relief Act of 2013” (H.R. 1595) to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to extend the reduced interest rate for Federal Direct Stafford Loans.

The Previous Question would amend the rule to allow for consideration of the “Paycheck Fairness Act” (H.R. 377) which bolsters the Equal Pay Act by closing loopholes and imposing effective penalties on employers who discriminate based on gender.

The Previous Question would amend the rule to allow for consideration of the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 377), which strengthens the Equal Pay Act by closing loopholes and imposing effective penalties on employers who discriminate based on gender.

The Previous Question would bring up a bill to replace the entire sequester with a balanced approach that protects our most vulnerable citizens while instituting the Buffett Rule, eliminating agriculture direct payments, and cutting large subsidies for oil companies and also allow for consideration of a bill prohibiting Members of Congress from receiving any automatic pay adjustments through the end of the 113th Congress.

The Previous Question would bring up a bill to replace the entire sequester with a balanced approach that protects our most vulnerable citizens while instituting the Buffett Rule, eliminating agriculture direct payments, and cutting large subsidies for oil companies.

The Previous Question would bring up a bill to replace the entire sequester with a balanced approach that protects our most vulnerable citizens while instituting the Buffett Rule, eliminating agriculture direct payments, and cutting large subsidies for oil companies.

The Previous Question would bring up a bill to replace the entire sequester with a balanced approach that protects our most vulnerable citizens while instituting the Buffett Rule, eliminating agriculture direct payments, and cutting large subsidies for oil companies.